Garden Party Decorations: Tabletop Tips for Summer Entertaining

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

In this post: Garden party decorations can offer just the right note for summer entertaining. Here are tabletop tips to inspire you for your next summer soirée.

Welcome to day 3 of Styled + Set, the Summer Entertaining Blog Tour I’m hosting here on the blog this week. If you missed days 1 and 2, you can find the links at the bottom of this post. You can also find new posts from today’s group of talented bloggers, right below my post. If you’re coming over from French Garden House, let me welcome you. I’m a huge fan of Lidy’s lovely French style and I’m quite the francophile myself.

But today’s table is decidedly American in feel, apropos for the week before Independence Day. So let’s look at 7 ways to add the unmistakable flavor of summer to your next dinner party table.

As with any season, there are certain visual cues that immediately signal summer to us. The most obvious revolves around dining outdoors, but when that’s not convenient, brining the outdoors in is equally as fun. This tablescape utilizes what I would call garden party decorations to anchor its identity. Here are the key components to help you achieve this look.

1. Red, white and blue centerpiece – while this tablescape is not strictly red, white and blue, they are the dominant colors in the somewhat broader palette. The patriotic colors in this centerpiece would certainly work for the Fourth of July, and as such communicate a summery feel.

2. Garden floral plates – in addition to fresh flowers, the garden floral salad plates are a distinct nod to summer. The vibrant colors distinguish the look from spring florals, which tend to include more pinks and pales than this more primary palette.

3. Blue and white chinoiserie – blue and white porcelains can be popular at any time of the year, but for me, adding them to a table immediately cheers it up. For summer mix them with bright florals like the ones here or possibly with sunflowers. The strong patterns work well with the bold style of the table setting and the blue is reminiscent of blue skies and clear waters.

4. Floral napkin rings – for a garden party theme, it’s nice to balance a mix of florals, from fresh and vibrant, to painted and colorful, and these soft blue napkin rings provide the perfect soft counterpoint to all that brightness. Played off pinks and lilacs, they’d work well for spring, but for summer I like them paired with these stronger tones.

5. Gingham check – apart from flowers, nothing says summer quite like gingham checks, especially done in red and white. They pretty well scream picnic or kerchiefs and sundresses, and in any case, they’re a summer staple that very much defines this table’s vibe.

7. Chunky wood chargers – a touch of chunky wood is the last component I’d add, for those who love to spend time outdoors. I always like to add bits of nature to my tables and in summer it gives the table a casual camping feel.

Of course, the best element of all is one I was lucky enough to blessed with the day I photographed this table and that’s the sun streaming through the windows. What would bright summer colors be without sun-drenched lighting?

For a unique look, I tend to approach my tables in a somewhat counter-intuitive way. I love to use crystal and china to dress up an outdoor table, but for indoor summer entertaining, I’m all about a casual garden party!

Ants not included…

Garden Party Decorations Source List – Click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. (This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.)

Comments

What a fun, welcoming summer table Lory! Nothing says summer better than the colors you chose, and I love those checks! This is such a happy table setting for any kind of party or dinner with family and friends. I’m excited to be part of this Style + Set Tour with you. xo Lidy

Lory, this is gorgeous and I love your tips! You know I love that blue and white! It’s so fabulous with all that red and those floral plates! Thank you as always for hosting such a fabulous tour – I’m honored to be a part of it!! xoxo

Thanks so much, Liz, and yes, you certainly can! For both the Homestyle and Tablescapes categories, there’s a drop down menu (hover over the category to see it) that groups posts by season. You can head right to the winter ones for now! 🙂

This is summer perfection Lory! I love the combo of the hydrangeas and roses. Those floral plates are on sale so I just may treat myself. Thank you so much for putting this tour together. It was such a bright spot in my week!

So fresh and beautiful Lory! I love the blue porcelain mixed with the floral plates, wood chargers and every little touch you added. And those cheese sticks are a fav too! Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this stunning tour!

Love your table setting! I choose yours out of all the ones shown – just love the pops of red in the centerpiece and the checked napkins! Your flowered salad plates are gorgeous! Love those flowers on the plates and the blue goblets. This is just lovely. I can picture myself having dinner and being so happy at your table (wish it was mine!!!) STUNNING!

What a gorgeous table Lory! I’m loving all the blue and white (my fav!) and the cute floral napkin rings are such a special touch. And I’m crushing on those chargers -now think I need to have a chunky wooden charger for sure:)

Thanks again for hosting, and for including me in such a talented group!

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I’m Lory, the creator of Designthusiasm, a blog that celebrates beautiful design! From home decor to tablescapes, lifestyle to travel photography, this blog was developed as an outlet for my varied design passions. My style can be described as modern French Country, with a respect for the past and the quality that comes with it. For more of my story see my ABOUT page. Thanks for visiting!